Bad news

Image source, Getty Images

  • Author, Simon Stone
  • Role, Chief football news reporter

Pep Guardiola said on Tuesday there were two potential outcomes to Rodri's injury scenario.

The first was a five-month absence, the second was a full ACL and eight months.

Guardiola got a call just before he was about to speak to the media this lunchtime to inform him the news was rubbish.

In fairness, he came straight out and told us all, when other managers might have been tempted to keep the news secret and release a statement at some point in the afternoon.

But once he had finished - and he spoke a lot - Guardiola will have to get his thinking cap on.

Rodri, as he has previously stated, is irreplaceable.

The most like-for-like player in his squad is Mateo Kovacic but, in reality, he will have to tweak his tactics and rely on two or more to fill the breach.